By Angela Roy of Mommy PR

I bet you never thought you would be reading how to build a nut house. With kids, it’s always something, right?

We have been feeding our backyard squirrels for a while now. It’s something that I remember doing with my late grandpa. He would be swarmed by the local wildlife just eating out of his hands. I would just sit in amazement as they acted like house pets to his every move. Ahh, the memories.

Anyway, I wanted my girls to build some “Nut Boxes”, just little containers to hold squirrel feed; nuts, corn, sunflower seeds, etc. (You can also make these boxes to hold trinkets, craft supplies, jewelry, or candy. They are very versatile.) I made this affordable for anyone, because all the items are from The Dollar Tree (you know, the place where everything under the sun is only $1).

You will need:

• Popsicle Sticks- I bought 2 bags of 100 sticks ($2)
• Glue- ($1)
• Peanuts- ($1)
• Leaves, Pine Cones- Free, just let the kids pick items from outside
• Bird Topper- Optional ($1 for pack of 2)

Your total cost should only be $5

Step 1:

Lay two sticks down, about the length of the Popsicle sticks apart from each other, and glue 10 sticks across them to build a base.

Step 2:

Glue one stick along each side slightly overlapping each end atop the end of another stick. Continue until you reach the depth you want for your container.

Step 3:

While your box is drying, make another “base” as in Step 1. This will be your top. Let the kids really use their imagination on this part. Pine cones, birds, rocks, etc. Whatever you want as your top.

Step 4:

Allow to dry and then fill with your favorite foods for the animals or your other furry friends. This can be dog treats for Fido, nuts for the squirrels, or even candy for Grandpa.

An extra you can do; If you get the plain Popsicle sticks, you can let the kids paint something on the sides. Also, we are leery of leaving a full box outside. We learned that the birds and squirrels sure are stronger and more nosy than we thought. They ate both boxes and dumped them on the ground! (see photo below) We keep joking that soon we are going to see them so fat they will be dragging their bellies across the grass.

I hope you enjoy your craft time with the kids! What will your nut houses look like? Leave us a link to see them!